History 202: History of Rome: Republic and Empire Spring 2014 Instructor: Carlos R. Galvao-­‐Sobrinho Office: NWQ B4592 Phone: (414) 229-­‐3819 e-­‐mail: cgalvao@uwm.edu Office hours: virtual or by appointment ONLINE TA: Steven Colagiovanni Office: NWQ G404 Phone: 414 229-­‐6700 e-­‐mail: COLAGIO2@UWM.EDU Office hours: Wed 3:30-­‐4:30 pm Course description How did Rome become a world power? What was it like to live in the Roman Empire? What as your life like if you were a Roman senator, a woman, a slave, a Jew, a Christian? What kept the Roman Empire together for so long? Asking these and many other questions, this course surveys the history of Rome from its beginnings to ca. 300 AD. The first half of the course is devoted to the Roman Republic (roughly 500-­‐30 BC), focusing on two main themes: (1) Rome’s imperial expansion from a city-­‐state to a world power; and (2) the social and political implications of this expansion. These two interlocking themes are not only central to the history of the Republic, but, more generally, to the historical evolution of Europe and the West. The second part of the course turns to the Empire, taking a broad look at the development of Greco-­‐Roman civilization in the lands controled by Rome. We look at the biographies of emperors, life in the army and in Roman cities, entertainment and leisure, the lives of women and slaves, and religious developments, including the rise of Christianity and the church. Goals and expectations I expect that you: 1. acquire historical knowledge about the history of ancient Rome. This does not mean memorizing names and dates, but understanding the main historical problems and themes in the study of this period, paying particular attention to the historical development of Rome as it emerged as a world power. 2. learn how to acquire that knowledge through the reading and analysis of primary sources. 3. develop your capacity to interpret and analyze phenomena, events and statements from different perspectives. Readings: • M. Boatwright, Daniel J. Gargola, and Richard A. Talbert, A Brief History of the Romans, Oxford: OUP, 2006. Available at the UWM bookstore. • New Testament (NT): any version (you can find it online). You will need this later in the semester when we talk about Christianity. • E-­‐readings: these constitute extracts of primary and secondary sources. To download the pdf’s, click the link under the topic for that week under the “Content” in the D2L course site. The readings for each week are also listed in the syllabus. Handouts, images, film footage, and other materials to supplement the readings will also be made available as necessary on the course’s “Content” page. D2L: The instruction and testing in this course are conducted entirely on-­‐line at on the Desire2Learn (D2L) on-­‐line course system. The only aspect of the course not involving the use of the Internet is the assigned reading in the required books. To log onto the system, you will need to use your UWM email address and password, which double as the D2L system user ID and password. All students who register for classes at UWM are given email addresses. If you don't know your email address or password, contact the help desk of Information and Media Technologies at (414) 229-­‐4040. To access the D2L system, point your browser to: http://D2L.uwm.edu. After you log in, you will see a listing of this course. Click the title for this course and you will be taken to the course page. Class announcements will either be sent to you at your UWM email address and/or posted on the D2L course page (under “News”). Please check the “News” area everyday when you first log in. Note that all deadline times listed in this syllabus and on D2L denote Wisconsin times (CT). Course structure and dynamics: In a standard class, I would lecture face-­‐to-­‐face for 50 min. twice a week and you would attend a discussion section once a week with the TA. This class is different in that you will not meet with me or the TA other than in virtual space. The main course activity will consist of on-­‐line discussion (more below). However, just as in a face-­‐to-­‐face course, once a week I will post on the D2L site powerpoint lectures covering the content outlined in this syllabus (see below). The TA will lead the discussion online. The format of the discussion will vary, but most times it will revolve around the reading and interpretation of primary source material from the electronic readings, the NT, and Boatwright et al. PLEASE NOTE THAT DUE TO TIME CONSTRAINTS, THE SCHEDULE OF ASSIGNMENTS AND EXAMS IN THIS COURSE MAKES NO DISTINCTION BETWEEN WEEKDAYS AND WEEKENDS. Caveat An online class means that you will be doing a lot of reading because most of the content (including the powerpoint lectures) will be delivered to you via written text and slides. It is, therefore, expected that you will devote an adequate amount of time for the course activities and to complete the readings every week just as you would do in a face-­‐to-­‐face course. The fact that there are no class meetings and no “live” lectures leaves much of the task of learning in your hands. I cannot emphasize this enough. To be successful, it is crucial that you keep up with the assigned readings, participate in the discussions, and watch the lectures. The advantage of the on-­‐line format is that it adds flexibility to your schedule, but you must discipline yourself to make sure you will not fall behind in your reading and participation. Students with special needs Students who need special arrangements (i.e., extra time for exams, etc.) should contact the instructor after contacting SAC and obtaining a VISA. Office hours: My office hours are virtual or by appointment. The TA will hold office hs weekly or by appointment (see above). If you have an inquiry, send me or the TA an email message and we shall respond to it as soon as we possibly can. You can also reach us by phone during the day at our respective offices. If we are not there at the time you call, we will try to return your call as quickly as possible. Course requirements: This course will consist of four graded components: Participation in discussions 30% Short papers (three) 30% (10% each) Midterm examination 20% Final examination 20% These components are described in detail below. Examinations There will be two (2) timed on-­‐line examinations—a mid-­‐term and a final. The final exam is not comprehensive, that is, it only covers the readings of the second half of the course. The tests shall be administered on the D2L on-­‐line course system. To access the examinations, you must click the "Quizzes" tab. You will then be taken to a page with the links for each examination. IMPORTANT: DO NOT USE WIRELESS CONNECTIONS TO TAKE THE EXAMS. THEY ARE NOT RELIABLE AND THE CONNECTION MAY BE DROPPED WITHOUT WARNING, MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR YOU TO ANSWER THE QUESTIONS OR SAVE AND SUBMIT YOUR ANSWERS. I WILL NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR INABILITY TO COMPLETE AN EXAM IF YOU USED A WIRELESS CONNECTION. Also, D2L often undergoes maintenance from 12 to 7 am Wisconsin time, especially on Thursdays and Saturdays, which may cause problems with your connection. DO NOT TAKE exams during those times. Each examination divides into two sections: 1. Section 1 features 10 multiple choice questions testing your knowledge and understanding of the topics outlined in the syllabus and the contents of the readings, powerpoint lectures, and other materials (video, handouts, images, etc.) as made available on the course site. This section is worth 20% of the exam grade. When taking this part of the exam, you must choose, for each question, the one response that best answers the question asked. In choosing the "correct" answers to the more interpretative questions, you are demonstrating your understanding of, not necessarily your agreement with, the authors' and the professor's viewpoints. You may take up 20 min. to complete this section of the examination, but you are permitted to make only one (1) attempt to complete each of them. I must be firm in adhering to this rule. Please make sure that you have saved all your responses (including those you may have altered) before submitting your examinations. To accommodate your busy schedules, I have structured the examinations in such a way so that you may take them at any time in a 36-­‐hour time-­‐slot, during the period when you will have no other course obligations other than taking the exam. The dates of these time-­‐slots are detailed in the course schedule below. You cannot take the examination before or after the assigned time-­‐slots, so please mark your calendars accordingly. Words of advice: Although exams are of the "open-­‐book, open-­‐notebook" variety, it is unlikely that you will fare well on them if you have not completed the assigned reading beforehand. First, there is a limited time-­‐frame for answering the questions (two minutes per question). Although the significance of some of the terms in the exams will be obvious to you, others require that you understand their context as explained in the surrounding text or even in the chapters as a whole from which they were drawn. Moreover, some of the questions may include information given only in the powerpoint lectures. Given the limited time frame for answering the questions on these exams, it is imperative that you do the reading, participate in discussion, follow the lectures, and that any notes you compile are merely designed to help you study. In short, it is important that you do your homework prior to taking these examinations. I welcome your questions and comments about any aspect of the reading and my messages as you prepare for the exams. 2. Section 2 of each exam consists of a take-­‐home essay worth 80% of the exam grade. After writing the essay you will upload it to the D2L site before the 36-­‐h time slot expires (see exam schedule below), after which you will not be able to submit the answer. The essay portion of each exam must contain NO MORE than 2 pages of text, typed font 12, Times New Roman, 1" margins, double-­‐spaced, no cover page. Please note the following: •
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The TA and I will NOT read more than 2 pages of text. The exam essay is due before the deadline assigned in the syllabus. Late exams will NOT be accepted DO NOT SEND EXAM ESSAYS BY E-­‐MAIL; THE TA AND I WILL NOT ACCEPT THEM. Short papers You will also write three short two-­‐page essays for the course. The essays require an exercise of analysis of primary sources pertinent to the themes and issues discussed in the readings, lectures, and sections. Each paper must contain NO LESS AND NO MORE than 2 pages of text. Like the exam essays, they should be typed with font 12, Times New Roman, 1" margins, double-­‐spaced, no cover page. Each is worth 10% of your final grade. Please also note the following: • Papers that do not conform to the instructions above will be rejected and graded as “F” (failed). • So do NOT write more than 2 pages. We will NOT read a third (or more) page(s) and it (they) will NOT count towards the grade. • Papers are due before the deadlines assigned in the syllabus. Late papers will NOT be accepted • DO NOT SEND PAPERS BY E-­‐MAIL; THE TA AND I WILL NOT ACCEPT THEM. FAQs 1. How do I upload exam essays and short papers? Once you finish your exam essay or paper, you upload it in the D2L course site “Dropbox.” Click the “Dropbox” tab next to “Quizzes” in the course site navigation bar; then choose the appropriate folder (e.g., "Midterm exam essay”, “Paper 1,” etc.) click on ADD FILE to attach your paper; and then click UPLOAD or SUBMIT. Make sure you upload the assignment to the right folder and before the deadline. It is best not to wait until the last minute in case there is a problem with the connection. 2. When are short papers due? (see also course schedule below) Paper # 1 due on Thursday 2/20, before 5 pm Paper # 2 due on Thursday 4/3, before 5 pm Paper # 3 due on Thursday 5/1, before 5 pm 3. How do discussions work? All students are required to participate in the on-­‐line discussions of the readings. This is the most important component of this course. The discussions are asynchronous and shall be conducted on the D2L system from Monday to Thursday. You must post your messages to the discussion boards within that time frame (see below “How do I participate in discussion?”) To access the discussion questions, click the "Discussions" tab. You will be shown a list of each unit's forum and 3-­‐4 discussion questions. For each question the system will allow you either to "add a message," in which you give an original response to a topic question, or to "reply" to existing messages. The TA will conduct online discussions. Because of the large number of students, I will divide the class into groups, depending on final enrollment, each group with roughly 15-­‐20 students just as in a face-­‐to-­‐face section. 4. How do I participate in discussion? a) Complete as much as possible of the assigned reading beforehand (just as you would for a f2f lecture/section). It may be useful to look at the discussion questions before doing the reading so that you can focus your reading. This is especially true when reading the primary sources (more later). Do NOT wait for the lecture to start posting your answers. The first post is due on Tuesday of every week before 12 noon. b) By Tuesday of each week before 12 noon, you must respond to at least one of the posted questions (of your own choosing) by adding a message. Your response shall contain a minimum of 100 words and no more than 250 words. It also counts if you reply to a reply message that the TA or I may have posted in an effort to guide the discussion. To post a message, click on the question, click “compose,” type your message, and then click “post.” c) By Thursday of each week before 12:00 noon, students must also post one reply message, in which they comment on the responses made by other students (this comment shall also be at least 150 words in length and no more than 250). It also "counts" if you reply to a reply message that I or the TA may have posted in an effort to guide the direction of the discussion. You are of course welcome to answer more than one question or to post additional replies to your classmates’ comments if you so wish. There is no word minimum on additional comments, should you choose to post them. d) IMPORTANT: discussions end on Thursdays at 12 pm, after which time you will not be allowed to post answers. NOTE: BECAUSE THE FIRST WEEK OF CLASS (1/22-­‐24) IS SHORTER, YOU MAY POST YOUR FIRST COMMENT UNTIL WEDNESDAY (1/23), 12 NOON. THE DEADLINE FOR REPLYING TO ONE OF YOUR CLASSMATES ANSWERS HAS LIKEWISE BEEN EXTENDED TO FRIDAY (1/24), 12 NOON. 5. How is participation in discussions graded? Although you do not have to read thoroughly every message posted for each discussion topic, you are expected to read most of the messages and to scan all of them, so as to gain a handle on the thrust of the discussions and to avoid posting redundant messages. Note that the D2L system keeps a record of your activity, including a log of the posts you have viewed. We will judge the messages you post on the D2L system in the same way we judge all written work. We expect that your messages will be thoughtful, thought-­‐provoking, well-­‐written, logical, and that they will reveal an attempt to engage with the readings and an appreciation of the complexity of historical events and developments. I encourage you to focus on the causes and implications of historical developments more than on whether events were “good” or “bad,” and, while seeing parallels between ancient Rome and the modern world, not to impose the present upon the past. As for the word minimum indicated above, it is intended as a guideline for students who don't know "how much is enough." Although it will be loosely enforced, in the end your words will be more "weighed than counted." We are interested in lively discussions. If you take an active orientation toward the class material, you will excel in these discussions and the word minimum will fade in importance. If you are dedicated to learning you will probably desire to post more than the minimum number of reply comments, and you are encouraged to do so. Ultimately, your class discussion grade will be based on (a) the consistency of your participation (meaning that you have met your obligations for each unit) and (b) the effort behind and quality (meaning the originality, coherence, and relevance) of your messages. 6. How do I access the professor's powerpoint lectures? The powerpoint lectures are intended to complement the reading and discussion rather than replace them. They obviously contain useful information, but they are not the most important course activity. The lectures will be made available on the D2L site Tuesday morning of each week. To download the lecture, do the following: 1. Click on the title to download the file. 2. After downloading the file, if it did not launch automatically, open it using PowerPoint. 3. Start the slide show. You will notice that each slide contains an audio icon. Click on the icon to hear the lecture. You need to do this for each slide until the end of the presentation. 4. You can navigate the lecture back and forth using the arrows on each slide or on your keyboard. If you need to repeat the slide, just go back to it and click the audio icon again. 5. E-­‐mail me if you have any questions or if there are any glitches. Because the lectures contain several images, depending on your connection speed, the files may take a while to download. On campus, using WiFi, on average, it took me about 5-­‐10 minutes/file, but only 2-­‐3 minutes using an ethernet cable. So please be patient. 7. What else do I need to know (netiquette; academic misconduct; grade scale)? Rules on Posting Responses and Comments I ask that everyone follow the rules and regulations below, as such will ensure more smoothly managed and productive discussions: 1) When adding or replying to messages, please read beforehand as many as possible of the posted messages on the topic in question. That way you can make sure, ahead of time, that your message will contribute something new to the development of the discussion and will not be repetitive of what someone else has already said. 2) Please observe the rules of "netiquette" when posting messages. We are here to learn from each other in a friendly environment. Be polite. Keep in mind also that discussions are useful only when they are structured and when points of view are intelligently expressed. 3) Reply to the posts of your classmates with constructive criticism. Keep in mind that nothing is added to the discussion if you reply to posts by either vacuously agreeing with what has already been articulated or embarking on a fault-­‐finding mission. 4) Post messages on the system without attachments, for some students may not be able to open such files. 5) The D2L system has spell-­‐check and preview tools, and you are advised to use them when composing messages. Spelling and grammar count in the evaluation of your participation. 6) Use the system only to post messages of interest to the entire class. If you wish to discuss with me or the TA an issue that concerns you alone, send a message to us at our email addresses. Also, do not use the forum to discuss extraneous matters. 7) Credit will not be given for late responses or late replies—that is, once the discussion forum for that unit has closed. NO EXCEPTIONS. I do not accept as valid excuses for late posts either the lack of synchronization between your clock and that of the D2L system or the existence of problems with your computer or internet connection. At numerous places on campus, as well as in any public library or cafes, you have access to the internet. To be frank, you have ample time to submit your required posts. If you wait until the last few minutes, you then do so at your own peril. Policy on academic misconduct Plagiarism of any kind or cheating on exams and papers will not be tolerated and will be met with the appropriate sanctions, including failing the course, having a notation placed on your record, and expulsion from the university. For more on university policy on academic misconduct go to http://www4.uwm.edu/acad_aff/policy/academicmisconduct.cfm Grade scale Your grades for the various course components will be posted on the D2L course site (just click on the "Grades" tab). Your final grade for the course will be entered on the PAWS system. Following is the grading scheme for the final course averages: 95 -­‐ 100 A 91 -­‐ 94.999 A-­‐ 88 -­‐ 90.999 B+ 85 -­‐ 87.999 B 81 -­‐ 84.999 B-­‐ 78 -­‐ 80.999 C+ 75 -­‐ 77.999 C 71 -­‐ 74.999 C-­‐ 68 -­‐ 70.999 D+ 65 -­‐ 67.999 D 61 -­‐ 64.999 D-­‐ 58 -­‐ 60.999 F+ (functionally, a D-­‐) 0 – 57.999 F Course Schedule NOTE: THE PAGE NUMBERS FOR THE E-­‐READINGS ARE SHOWN HANDWRITTEN EITHER AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE OR ON THE LEFT HAND-­‐SIDE MARGIN OF THE PDF FILE IN D2L. Unit 1: Beginnings: Archaic Rome and the Early Roman Republic Week 1 (1/21-­‐24): Archaic Rome: myth, archaeology, history, and the problem of sources Reading: Boatwright 1-­‐20 e-­‐reading: Syllabus; Introduction; Livy, Early History of Rome, 1-­‐7. Week 2 (1/27-­‐30): The Early Roman Republic Readings: Boatwright 20-­‐44 e-­‐reading: Livy, Early History of Rome, 8-­‐17. Unit 2: From City-­‐State to World Power: Building an Empire Week 3 (2/3-­‐6): The Conquest of the Western Mediterranean (Italy, Punic Wars) Readings: Boatwright 44-­‐72. Week 4 (2/10-­‐13): The Conquest of the East and the Transformation of Roman Society Readings: Boatwright 72-­‐87 e-­‐reading: Polybius, Rise of the Roman Empire, 21-­‐31; Plutarch, Makers of Rome, 32-­‐ 39 (Cato). Unit 3: The Consequences of Empire and the Crisis of the Roman Republic Week 5 (2/17-­‐20): Empire, War, and Agrarian Crisis Readings: Boatwright 87-­‐98 e-­‐reading: Plutarch, Makers of Rome, 40-­‐51 (Tiberius Gracchus). Paper # 1 due on Thursday 2/20, before 5 pm. Week 6 (2/24-­‐27): The Making of a New Political Leadership: From Marius to Sulla to the First Triumvirate Readings: Boatwright 99-­‐129, 132-­‐145 e-­‐reading: Plutarch, Fall of the Roman Republic, 51-­‐60 (Marius and Sulla), 60-­‐68 (Pompey). Unit 4: The Fall of the Roman Republic and the Creation of the Principate Week 7 (3/3-­‐6): The Radical 50s, Civil War, Caesar’s Dictatorship, and the End of the Republic Readings: Boatwright 145-­‐179 e-­‐reading: Plutarch, Fall of the Roman Republic, 69-­‐90 (finish Pompey; Caesar); Bailkey & Lim, Readings in Ancient History, 91-­‐101. Week 8 (3/10-­‐13): The New Political Order: Augustus and the Principate Readings: Boatwright 180-­‐199 e-­‐reading: Suetonius, The Twelve Caesars, 104-­‐112; Shelton, As the Roman Did, 102-­‐ 103; Lewis & Reinhold, Roman Civilization: The Empire, 113 (Aeneid). Mid-­‐term exam: time-­‐slot begins Thursday, 3/14, at 12 noon, and ends Friday, 3/15 at 11:59 pm. Week 9 (3/17-­‐20): Spring break Unit 5: The Consolidation of the Principate
Week 10 (3/24-­‐27): Emperors, Soldiers, and the Integration of Empire Readings: Boatwright, recap 184-­‐187, 201-­‐213, and 222-­‐227 e-­‐reading: Shelton, As the Roman Did, 115-­‐119 (army); Documents on the Roman army: Lewis & Reinhold, Roman Civilization: The Empire, 119-­‐120. Week 11 (3/31-­‐4/3): The Golden Age of Rome: the Antonines Readings: Boatwright 227-­‐245, 247-­‐253, and 214-­‐217 e-­‐reading: Golden Age of Rome: Lewis & Reinhold, Roman Civilization: The Empire, 121-­‐128. Paper # 2 due on Thursday 4/3, before 5 pm. Unit 6: Living in the Roman Empire Week 12 (4/7-­‐10): Women, Slaves, and Freed Persons Readings: Boatwright 129-­‐131, 175-­‐176 (Box 9.1) e-­‐reading: Shelton, As the Romans Did, 129-­‐149. Week 13 (4/14-­‐17): Living in the Imperial Capital Readings: Recap Boatwright 237-­‐245 e-­‐reading: Lewis & Reinhold, Roman Civilization: The Empire, 150-­‐1; Shelton, As the Romans Did, 151-­‐158. Week 14 (4/21-­‐24): Pagans, Jews, and the Jesus Movement Readings: Boatwright 218-­‐221; NT: Gospel of Matthew (as much as possible) e-­‐reading: MacMullen, Paganism and Christianity, 169-­‐170; Williams, Jews among Greeks and Romans, 171-­‐173. Unit 7: The Transformation of the Roman World Week 15 (4/28-­‐5/1): The spread of Christianity, the early church, and the Christian persecutions Readings: Boatwright 268-­‐271; NT: Acts of the Apostles, especially 9:1 to 14:28, 19:1-­‐41, 21:27-­‐28:31; e-­‐reading: Josephus, The Jewish War, 174; Cornell & Mathews, Atlas of Roman History, 175-­‐178; and Shelton, As the Romans Did, 179. Paper # 3 due on Thursday 5/1, before 5 pm. Week 16 (5/5-­‐8): Crisis and recovery: from the Soldier-­‐Emperors to Constantine Readings: Boatwright 256-­‐267, 273-­‐296 e-­‐reading: MacMullen, Paganism and Christianity, 180-­‐182. Final exam: time-­‐slot begins Monday, 5/12, at 12 noon, and ends Tuesday, 5/13 at 11:59 pm.